Beverage cooler, mixer, and dispenser



INVENTOR:

"Ill

Y Patented Nov. 9, 1926..

hthtM ALFRED G'. O. HX, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BEVERAGE COOLER, MIXER, AND DISPENSER.

Application filed September 18, 1925.

This invention relates to devices used for dispensing beverages forimmediate use.

One of the objects oi this invention is to provide a dispenser with anautomatic mixer, to operate as liquid is drawn from the device.

Another object is to provide containers of different volumes fordiii'erent liquids to be mixed by the dispenser.

Another object is to provide a communication between the differentcontainers, and controlling means between the containers whereby thecommunication may be checked.

Another object is to provide means whereby the diiierent containers areheld so as to bring the diiierent liquids in a common level from the topto the bottom, to facilitate an even mixing throughout the dispensing. f

Another object is to provide a dispensing outlet in connection with themixing communication.

Other objects will appear from the ollowing description and appendedclaims as well as from the accompanying drawing, in

whichv Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a cooler with inserted containersand required controlling means of a simple form embodying this in- Wvention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical midsectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1,leg-members being broken 0E, and having alid over the top of the coolerand a separate lid or cover 215 over the two adjacent containers.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary slightly enlarged horizontal section through thecontrolling means for the containers, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, thedispensing faucet and the handle and bushing of the controlling valvebeing omitted.

Fig. d is a fragmentary vertical midsectional view oi a slightlymodified :torni of controlling means, having separate shut-ofi '15'valves for the diiierent'containers.

VIn dispensing-beverages, it has become customary to use juice ortlavoring of some what condensed form to be diluted or mixed withanother liquid or medium, usually water.

Since the juice, orflavoring, or like basic matter is commonly of aknown strength, it remains merely a matter of deciding upon theproportion in which this basic matter is to be dispensed. within drink.Viliether Serial No. 57,097.

the diluting medium is water or of any other substance is immaterial,the volume of such a diluting medium can readily be proportioned to thevolume of the basic matter to always result in a desired drink.

To dispense a certain mixture of a drink is then really a matter ofproviding containers to hold the required volume or amount of each otthe ldiiiierent liquids or other matter to be used in the mixture.

any number of containers according to the number of dii'l'erent liquids'or ingredients to be used in a drink may be provided. .in the drawings,in Figs. 1 and 2, two containers 5 and 6 are provided, but it must beunderstood that this invention is not limited to this enact number ofcontainers and may be modified and varied in agreement with the above.

Making use of the well-known principle that liquids in interconnectedcontainers placed side by side will maintain a' common level, thedifferent containers in the dispenser embodying this invention are prei#erably made of an equal height, as illustrated in Fig. 2, whilediffering in the horizontal cross sectional area, as illustrated in Fig.1, so that a draining of the diierent containers will result in aproportionate discharge oi' the diierent ingredients held in thecontainers and thereby in a proportionate mixture from the differentingredients as to volume, due to the equalizing tendencies in suchinterconnected containers.

To facilitate a dispensing of beverages in a desir-ably coolstate, thecontainers are preferably mounted within a cooler 7. The cooler is madeoi hollow structure, enclosing granulated cork or the like insulatingInaterial, to insure an economic maintainance in the cooling of thewhole device.

rlhe containers 5 and 6 are provided with outlet openings 9 and 10 inthe bottom, interconnected by a communicating tube 11.

ln the 'form as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a common control valve forboth containers is provided, as indicated at 12, operative by a commonhandle member indicated at 13 in Fig. 1. A comparatively small tubularconnection 14 from the smaller container 6 terminates within the controlhorizontal section of Fig. A suitable valve 1G is provldedon the frontend of the main valve 17, so that the outlet from the container 6 can beclosed simultaneously with the closing of the main valve 17 by the stem18.

A closing of the control valve 12 shuts oil the communication of thecontainers with the large common discharge tube 19. The valve-housingand the discharge tube 19 are preferably of comparatively large size toi'orm a mixing chamber tor a suitable volume of the beverage preparatoryto being dispensed by the discharging faucet 20.

ln the slightly modified i'form illustrated in Fig. a, separate valves2l and 22 are provided 'for the diiierent containers to connect with thecontainers at 9a and 10.,.` the smaller tube 14nI being provided with abent porti-on 23 terminating withinv the communicating tube 11, in thedirection ot the mixing chamber 19 wiihin the discharging tube, thelatter being in this niodified form merely the termination of thecommunicating tube 11a.

To keep the beverage cool, the containers are preferably packed in icesurrounding the containers within the cooler 7 F or draining the wastewater :from the ice chamber of the cooler, a drain 2a is provided asillustrated in F ig. 2.

Any desirable support may be provided for the cooler', leg-portionsbeing indicated at 25 in Fig. 2, but other means or structures may besubstituted for this.

Over the top of the several containers within the cooler, a lid 2,6 isprovided to keep the beverage clean and sanitary, while a main cover 27allows a replenishing of ice around the closed containers within thecooler.

As illustrated in the drawing, the containers being merely placed on topof the communicating and discharging tubes, a special support isprovided under the turtliermost end of the containers. The cross bar 28with the uprights 30 is provided with leg-portions 29. Set-screws 31serve to clamp this support to one of the containers, so that the wholeweight of the containers is not entirely resting on the tube dischargingconnection within the walls ot' the cooler.

with the arangement described above,.the containers can easily beremoved and replaced irom the ends of the tubes 11 and l, and smaller orlarger containers can be used or applied to the ends et' the tubes 11and 14, to facilitate a desired proportioning in the dispensed mixturein conjuction with the operation oit the control valves.

By providingthe small removable and eX- changeable plugs 32, indicatedin .F ig. 2, the outlet oriiice of one or more ol the containers can bemade of dil'l'erent size, to eliminate or avoid any undesired or evenHaving thus described my invention, I

Y claim :-h

1. ln a dispenser, containers of diii'erent cross-sectional areasinterconnected by a common discharging means adapted to allow a mixingo't different ingredient-s from the containers in a desired proportion.

2. in a dispenser, containers of equal height but diderent volumesinterconnected by a common discharging means adapted to cause a drawingof different ingredients ifi-om the containers in desired proportion dueto the tendency of liquid in interconnected containers to automaticallyassume and maintain a common level.

3. ln a dispenser, containers ot equal height but different volumes,communicating means between the containers arranged so that differentamounts oic liquids may be drawn from the containers due to theequalizingof the liquids to a common level, dispensing means, andcontrolling means between the containers and the dispensing means.

ln a dispenser, containers of diilerent cross-sectional areasinterconnected by a common discharging means adapted to allow a mixingand drawing of diiierent ingredients from the containers in proportionto such dili'erent cross-sectional areas, and a cooler enclosing theinterconnected containers.

in a dispenser, containers of different cross-sectional areasinterconnected by a common discharging means adapted to allow a mixingand drawing of different ingredients :From the containers in proportionto such diilerent cross-sectional areas, and controlling means 'for theindividual containers to 'facilitate a proportioning and adapted toallow a shutting-off of the containers from the common discharging meanswhen the dispenser is not in continuous use.

6. in a dispenser, containers of different cross-sectional areasinterconnected by a common discharging means adapted to allow a mixingand drawing of different ingredients rom the containers in proportion tosuch different cross-sectional areas, controlling means for theindividual containers to 'facilitate a proportioning and adapted toallow a shutting-oil1 oi' the contain rs from the common dischargingmeans when the dispener is not in continuous use, and a main dispensingvalve at the termination of the common discharging means.

7. ln a dispenser, containers oit different cross-sectional areasinterconnected by a common discharging means adapted to allow a mixingand drawing ot dilierent ingredients rom the containers in proportion tolill) such different oross-sectional areas, the con taineis havingindividual outlets including exchangeable propoitioning means, a maindispensing valve, and individual controlling means for the containers atpoints between said main valve and "said proportioning means adapted tosillon7 a shutting ALFRED G. 0. HIX.

